Machine Listening to Soundscapes

Playful Discovery of Sound Languages

Abstract

This article looks into the possible repercussions of massive availability of data in Soundscape research and creation. The problem posed by large amounts of sound data is that it becomes no longer possible to review the entire sound collection of a project manually, due to practical time limits. Machine listening techniques can help to search through large sound databases, and to identify those parts of the sounds which have desired properties, or categorize sound segments into groups that share certain characteristics. However, introducing the machine as a quasi-active component in the perception, understanding and manipulation of sound requires a fundamental re-thinking of the way in which sound is perceived. The article traces some of the implications of machine listening from a general philosophical and culture-theoretical view. It identifies concepts, practices and thought movements that foreshadow the idea of machine listening, such as the concept of navigation as a fundamental component of the understanding, interpreting, and constructing of both real and virtual environ- ments. The discussion traces existing connections between pre-historic concepts such as the labyrinth and ideas that appear in the history of technology, leading to the digital computer. It is suggested that examining these ideas in relation to machine listening and contemporary soundscape practices can help both in the understanding and creative application of machine listening techniques.